


'Til Death Do Us Part

by ladybug218



Category: Torchwood
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-02
Updated: 2012-06-02
Packaged: 2017-11-06 14:14:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/419801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladybug218/pseuds/ladybug218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tosh reflects on her new relationship.</p>
            </blockquote>





	'Til Death Do Us Part

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noveltea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noveltea/gifts).



> Set between 2x8 "A Day in the Death" and 2x9 "Something Borrowed"
> 
> written for noveltea for femme_fic

The irony is not lost on Tosh that the most normal relationship she has had in a long time is with a dead man.

Granted, it's not too hard to be more normal than being used by an alien with a secret agenda and a man who is only alive one day a year, but given how long Tosh has been harboring a crush on Owen, it's something she never expected. And a small part of her wonders if the only reason he wants to be with her is because of the whole technically dead thing. After all, that would be a bit difficult to explain to the random bar hookup, as Jack so kindly pointed out.

_"Toshiko, are you sure this is a good idea?"_

_"Jack, I'm an adult and I'm capable of making my own decisions."_

_"Like when you decided to trust Mary?"_

_"That's not fair."_

_"Maybe not, but you haven't always had the best judgment in your relationships. I don't want to see you get hurt again."_

_"I appreciate that, but I don't think Owen is going to hurt me."_

_"I will admit that I think Owen will go to great lengths to keep you happy, After all, there aren't many women who would date a man that is clinically dead. And he can't go back to his routine of picking up random young ladies in bars and taking them home."_

_"Jack, are you implying that Owen is only interested in dating me because of his... condition?"_

_"I'm not implying anything, Toshiko. Just making sure that you don't put Owen on a pedestal."_

Tosh wonders if Jack gave Owen a similar lecture and looks up from her work station, her eyes automatically locking on Owen who is performing another alien autopsy in the med bay. He looks up and catches her gaze, giving her a small smile that makes her heart skip a beat. After he turns back to his work, she watches him for a few more minutes, admiring his skills.

"Tosh? Tosh?"

She blinks and whirls to see Gwen standing next to her with an amused expression. "You looked like you were on another planet for a moment," Gwen teases.

"Sorry, I... got distracted," Tosh says, feeling her cheeks grow warm.

Gwen looks over at Owen and then smiles at Tosh. "I understand how that can be," she says. "Some mornings I sit at the table and watch Rhys while he cooks breakfast. He doesn't understand it; says I'm silly because watching him cook has to be boring. But there's something fascinating about watching someone you love go about their day." 

Tosh knows she is blushing even more furiously now - partly because of the casual way Gwen mentions Tosh's feelings toward Owen and partly because she is all too aware of her co-worker's former relationship with him. "It's... well... I'm not used to this kind of thing," Tosh admits awkwardly. She isn't sure how she feels about discussing her innermost feelings with Gwen. Despite being the only women on the team, they've never become close friends. It's already uncomfortable for Tosh knowing that all of her co-workers are aware of her feelings and are concerned that it's going to end badly; discussing it further with a woman who has intimately known Owen would only make things that much worse.

"I understand that too," Gwen says. "I kissed a lot of toads before I found my prince in Rhys. I can't wait until this weekend."

"It's going to be a beautiful wedding, Gwen," Tosh says, realizing that love has made her co-worker glow.

Gwen shrugs. "I wouldn't care if it was just me and Rhys standing in the middle of a field with a priest, pledging to love each other for the rest of our lives."

Tosh is suddenly reminded of the part of wedding vows where the couple pledges to love each other 'until death do us part'. Not that she thinks she and Owen would necessarily marry, but it would be an interesting conundrum for them.

"What's the latest on that suspected Rift activity west of Cardiff?" Ianto's interruption snaps Tosh out of her thoughts, though she is well aware that he doesn't condone the relationship anymore than Jack does.

_"Ianto, I have the latest reports on the Weevil activity near that abandoned warehouse."_

_"Thanks, Tosh. I'll make sure Jack gets these."_

_"I'll let you know if anything changes."_

_"Tosh, wait."_

_"Yes?"_

_"I realize that's none of my business, but... I hope you're going to be careful with this Owen thing."_

_"Ianto, I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself."_

_"I know. But you let your heart make decisions sometimes and I know from experience how badly that can turn out."_

_"Have I said anything about you being with Jack?"_

_"... no."_

_"Jack's no different than Owen in the commitment department. So you kindly stay out of my relationship and I'll continue to stay out of yours."_

Tosh hands him the latest reports and wonders if he felt the same kind of embarrassment she feels when the team found out about Lisa. Or when he and Jack started their tryst. She knows she'll never have the courage to ask him though. Then she wonders why she is embarrassed. She and Owen are both adults and both more than capable of making their own choices. Everyone on the team, Gwen in particular, has to understand how difficult it is to maintain a relationship with a normal person. It's not fair of Jack and Ianto to pass judgment on her and Owen when they have their own relationship.

She looks over and catches Owen's gaze again; they smile at each other and she gets that fluttery feeling in her stomach again. Watching Owen get shot was probably the worst moment of her life, but in the end, she will acknowledge that it might have been the best thing that could have happened for her. Even though he had agreed to go on a date with her before that, she is aware enough to recognize that his near brush with death had a huge impact on him and on how he relates to the world around him now. And that has definitely put her in a better position to be with him.

He's still smiling as he walks over to her work station. Wordlessly, Gwen and Ianto drift away. "Are you still planning to come over tonight?" he asks.

"Of course, Owen," she replies. "Unless you'd rather I didn't," she adds quickly, her insecurities rearing their ugly head for a moment.

"Tosh, I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to," he says, his voice somewhat stern, as if he knows what she was thinking.

"Right, of course," Tosh says, giving him another shaky smile.

"I'll be another hour or so finishing up this autopsy," he tells her. "I don't know if you want to wait for me, or if you want to meet up later."

Tosh considers her options. "Well, I can go and pick up a bite before I come over, if you like," she suggests. She's still trying to get comfortable with the fact that he can't eat or drink anything anymore. 

"Or you can wait and we can grab some take-out on the way back to my place," Owen says. 

"But, you can't..."

"I know. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't enjoy smelling the food or watching you eat it."

Tosh feels her cheeks getting warm again. "Okay, I'll wait for you."

"Great," Owen says, leaning over and pressing his cool lips against her warm cheek before striding back to the med bay.

Tosh watches him walk away and realizes that she's been waiting for Owen for a long time, however, she never would have guessed that it would be his death that brought them together.


End file.
